Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) may be one of the most challenging ethical issues of our time. Despite the ever-growing list of jurisdictions choosing to pass VAD laws in recent years, it continues to stoke controversy and debate around the world.
In the mid-90s, physician Dr Philip Nitschke assisted in the voluntary medical suicides of four people in Darwin. He did so legally, under the Northern Territory’s historic yet short-lived VAD law, the first of its kind in the world. Today, however, the Northern Territory is the only jurisdiction in Australia which does not allow VAD (although that may soon change).
I guess I wasn't too surprised that I found myself added to the Wikipedia list of doctor deaths.Dr Philip Nitschke
The overturning of the NT law by the Federal Government in 1997 was a watershed moment for Nitschke, who has since dedicated his life to advocating for fair, ethical, and legal access to VAD. He is the founder of the not-for-profit Exit International, which asserts “that every adult of sound mind has the right to seek and receive information about, and make plans for, the end of their life”, and he is the inventor of several VAD machines and technologies - including one which may change the role of doctors in end-of-life choices.
In this episode, Anthony and Nadine ask the renowned and sometimes controversial doctor about the state of VAD laws in Australia and beyond, technological developments, and why his colleague was arrested in Switzerland.
Links
Grave Matters is an SBS Audio podcast about death, dying, and the people helping us do both better. Find it in your podcast app, such as the SBS Audio app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or LiSTNR.
Credits
Hosts: Anthony Levin and Nadine J. Cohen
Producer: Jeremy Wilmot
Writers: Anthony Levin and Nadine J. Cohen
Art and design: Karina Aslikyan
SBS team: Joel Supple, Max Gosford, Bernadette Phương Nam Nguyễn, and Philip Soliman
Guest: Dr Philip Nitschke
Helplines If you'd like to speak to someone, you can reach a counsellor at Beyond Blue at any time, day or night, by calling 1300 22 4636 or visiting www.beyondblue.org.au. Also, Lifeline offers 24/7 crisis
